My Experience with Anxiety in Perimenopause
Several years ago, when I started going through perimenopause, I began to experience a lot of anxiety. I was always a Type A personality- high achiever, perfectionist, perhaps a few worries here and there. But until that point, I had never experienced anxiety like this.
I began to suffer from panic attacks. My ability to deal with even the slightest stresses was diminished and would put me over the edge. I described myself feeling like I was a cat clinging to the top of the curtains when people would ask me how I was.
There was this constant feeling of a tightness in my chest- like someone was sitting on it and I couldn’t breathe easily. I never felt like I could take a deep breath, and always felt short of breath.
My muscles in my body couldn’t relax, and no matter how hard I tried to make them I always felt on edge. Massage, meditation, yoga, vacations, time with friends – I remained unable to fully relax through it all.
I went through a whole slew of tests- from cardiac to pulmonary and everything came back normal. My doc one day said to me, “do you think this could be in your head”. WTF- seriously! At first I was angry with him. I wasn’t making this crap up and I was angry he would think so.
Then I began to consider what he meant by it. Perhaps it was in my head- maybe I had developed anxiety, and this was a mental health issue that I need to deal with now.
My Initial Treatment for Anxiety in Perimenopause
So, I reluctantly started on some anti-anxiety medication. The meds gave me some relief, but never truly took away the anxiety. I didn’t get panic attacks anymore, but I still couldn’t fully relax.
I started thinking it was perhaps my job causing burnout and began to look at ways to try to change that. Limiting my time out of town and trying not to work overtime were ways that I was able to try to reduce my job-related stress. Nothing changed with how I felt, and I still felt the same.
I started seeing a counselor to talk through my anxiety. She told me that I was doing everything right, and that I had good insight into what I needed to do to manage this anxiety. And of course, I still felt the same.
Alternative Therapies for Anxiety in Perimenopause
So, I began to explore alternative therapies. I went and saw a naturopathic doctor. She tested my nervous system and it indicated that it was severely stressed. No kidding. I felt that inside of me to my core. She recommended some supplements, and I took them for 6 months. And you guessed it, I still felt the same.
Over the next couple of years, I would see a chiropractor, a second naturopathic doctor, and my own GP so many times I’m sure they were sick of seeing me. The only relief I had was when I saw Susan- a massage therapist who specialized in Cranio-Sacral Therapy. She was able to get me to relax, even if it was only for a short while. I’ve talked about this in a previous blog here.
Not one of the practitioners I saw in those years, checked my hormone levels. I had them tested prior to me developing the anxiety, but the results came back within normal limits. Being a nurse, I had questioned whether what I was going through was related to my hormone levels, but I really didn’t know. And the fact that I was pretty much dismissed because my hormone levels were “normal” led me to dismiss my symptoms I was experiencing.
I was never taught that anxiety could be experienced while transitioning to menopause when I was in my nursing education. Mood instability- yes, but I assumed that was like PMS mood swings. A few days occasionally where you are irritable- but that was really all I thought it was.
The Statistics for Anxiety in Perimenopause
It wasn’t until I started doing a lot of online research (no, not Dr. Google…I’m a research junkie don’t you know?) that I realized that anxiety was a VERY common symptom of perimenopause. In fact, 60% of women going through Perimenopause experience depression or anxiety. How was I not taught this in nursing training?
Now that I’m in Menopause, I have realized that my anxiety has dissipated. I’m so grateful for this, as I finally feel some relief. I’m relaxed again and enjoying every part of life. I still have occasional worries, but it’s not all-consuming and detrimental to my enjoyment in life.
All that I’ve been through in the last few years though has made me want to be pro-active in ensuring women who are going through Perimenopause in the future have the knowledge that I didn’t have to ensure they receive holistic care for their symptoms. We need to do better for the one billion women going through Perimenopause and Menopause in the world right now.
We need to realize that many women experience anxiety in Menopause or Perimenopause and there needs to be more education to healthcare providers regarding this. There also needs to be more research into how to effectively treat this so it doesn’t negatively affect women’s lives. We need to do better for women experiencing anxiety in Perimenopause.
Please note that while I am a Registered Nurse, I am not your nurse and my opinions above do not constitute or replace medical advice. Be sure to discuss any questions or concerns with your physician or healthcare provider. Also, see my disclaimer here for more information.
Take care,
Resources:
https://www.evernow.com/menopause-study